BACKGROUND Breastfeeding is associated with a variety of positive health outcomes in children and is recommended exclusively for the first 6 months of life; however, 50-70 % of infants in the US are formula-fed. To test the hypothesis that immune system development and function in neonates and infants are significantly influenced by diet, 2-day old piglets were fed soy or milk formula (n = 6/gr...

Background Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by B cell hyperactivity. CXCR5+ follicular helper T cells (Tfh), CXCR5-PD-1hi peripheral (Tph) and CCR9+ Tfh-like have been implicated in driving hyperactivity pSS (1-3), however, their potential overlap has not evaluated. Objectives To study the between two CXCR5- subsets to PD-1/ICOS expression, hall mark marke...

In July 2011, DNA vaccine researchers from the world over met once again to present and discuss their research at the 2011 DNA Vaccine meeting held July 12–14 in beautiful San Diego, CA along scenic Coronado Bay. This meeting, presented under the auspices of the International Society of DNA Vaccines, centered on the theme of " Building on Clinical Progress and Exploring New Targets ". This prov...

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to determine the static load-bearing capacity of endodontically treated maxillary incisors restored with post-core complex made of experimental fiber composite resin (FC) and complete crown made of particulate filler composite (PFC). Further aim was to evaluate the effect of FC resin on the failure mode of the restoration. MATERIAL AND METHODS The experimenta...

Developing B cells undergo dramatic changes in their responses to chemoattractant cytokines (chemokines) and in expression of chemokine receptors. Bone marrow pre-pro-B cells (AA4.1(+)/natural killer 1.1(-) Fraction A cells) and cells capable of generating pro-B colonies in the presence of interleukin 7 and flt3 ligand migrate to thymus-expressed chemokine (TECK), a response lost in later stage...

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, comprising ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Alterations in T cell subsets, an important cell type in cell-mediated immune responses in the adaptive immune system, are certainly an element contributing to disease development. The relationship between disease and T-cell maturation i...

The outcome of HIV-1 infection is highly variable: not all individuals exposed to HIV-1 will become infected, and among individuals who do become infected the time from infection to clinical AIDS is highly variable. This variability is thought to reflect the complex interactions between virus and host. An important role for host genetic factors in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection is increasi...

Chemokines play a pivotal role in regulating leukocyte migration as well as other biological functions. CC chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) is a specific receptor for thymus-expressed CC chemokine (TECK). It is shown here that engagement of CCR9 with TECK leads to phosphorylation of Akt (protein kinase B), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), glycogen synthase kinase--3 beta (GSK-3 beta), and ...

The immune system has evolved specialized cellular and molecular mechanisms for targeting and regulating immune responses at epithelial surfaces. Here we show that small intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes and lamina propria lymphocytes migrate to thymus-expressed chemokine (TECK). This attraction is mediated by CC chemokine receptor (CCR)9, a chemoattractant receptor expressed at high level...